What is your organization, and how long has it been serving Hampton Roads?

Elena Montello, Development Director of Hope House.

Hope House Foundation provides independent living services to adults with developmental disabilities right here in Hampton Roads. Hope House has been providing support for more than 40 years. We are also the only organization in the state of Virginia that supports adults with developmental disabilities exclusively in their own home. We believe that everyone, regardless of ability, has the right to live the life of their choosing as valued members of our community.

What is your name, title, and responsibilities?

Elena Montello, Development Director. I am responsible for all marketing and fund-raising for the organization; including, but not limited to our Annual Fund, events (our most widely acclaimed being the bi-annual Stockley Gardens Arts Festival), and the Hope House Thrift Shop.

What is the mission?

We believe life in neighborhoods and communities is enhanced when people with disabilities are included in all aspects. Our services are based on the conviction that people with disabilities should live in their own homes and have control over their day-to-day lives just as people without disabilities are afforded.

We believe that being a part of the community should not be limited by attainment of certain skills. Assisting individuals achieve true citizenship requires us all to make the concepts of freedom and choice a reality; we do this through our services, our participation in our community and within our hearts…each day, every day.

How is your organization equipped to serve this mission?

We are committed to building a community where everyone is included; and we work to create a system where people with developmental disabilities don’t just survive, they thrive.  Our support services model is based on the simple premise that people with disabilities have the right to live meaningful lives of their own choosing.

Jessie, a woman served by Hope House, is enjoying an art class at ODU.

Ninety-eight percent of the people we support live at or below the poverty level, making less than $10,000 a year or $833 a month. The average rent in Hampton Roads is $900, so you can see that affordable housing presents a hurdle to living in the community. So, naturally, affordable housing in the community is a major part of our mission. We presently own 9 of our 12 team locations throughout South Hampton Roads. This allows us to set affordable rental rates, modify apartments as needed to meet the needs of the people we support, and ensure community integration by renting apartments to other members of the community. After all, we naturally become friends with our neighbors.

We know that living in the community is not the same as having a life in the community, so we also provide individualized support to the people we serve to create meaningful connections and relationships in the community. From joining the gym, taking a pottery class or adopting a pet, this empowers people with disabilities to unlock the resources and support they need to achieve true citizenship in our community. Hope House puts emphasis on staff training and retention for team members, because the relationships developed between those we support and team members is extremely important. Our team members are the most committed and passionate individuals I know.

Please share with us an anecdote that epitomizes the impact of your group on the daily life of Hampton Roads.

The other day I went to the local coffee shop and was greeted by Hollywood. She is gregarious, fun to be around and is a respected member of the Ghent community. Hollywood just happens to be a woman we serve; however, she is not commonly identified by this or her ability, but by her outgoing personality and dream to become a NASCAR driver and Hollywood legend, hence the name. She has become the unofficial mayor of Ghent, friend of many, a respected artist and a local star.

Not everyone wants to be famous, but we all want to be a part of something, and that is what we strive to do at Hope House. A community is made richer when we are all included, as is the case with Hollywood.

Tell us about a volunteer that has made a difference.

Ken Cohen, “volunteer extraordinaire,” as we like to call him. Ken has volunteered for Hope House for more than 20 years with countless hours and irreplaceable dedication. He is a devoted volunteer for the Stockley Gardens Arts Festivals; serving on the festival committee and volunteering at every event held by the organization. He also volunteers his time outside of events as well. When two people we support got married we were in need of someone to handle the reception, and of course, Ken was there! His response to our needs: “It would be an honor to help.”

Ken never loses site of the big picture: that everything we do is to build a community where everyone is included. He has said to us many times, “I believe that every human being is important. Every human being has something to do and that something to do is not just for them, but it’s to make a difference in the world. Through an act of goodness, kindness and tsdaka (Yiddish for “charity”), we can change the world for the better. This is how you’re supposed to live your life.”

Dorothy, a woman served by Hope House, is learning to play the piano.

Without your organization…

Developmentally disabled adults’ only alternative would be to live in an institution or a group home, where choosing what to wear in the morning, visiting with neighbors, deciding what to eat for dinner, inviting a friend over for popcorn and a movie or simply enjoying your favorite music in the privacy of your own home is not an option. Privacy, choice and independence cannot be found there.

They are part of an ordinary life–one that only Hope House Foundation can provide. I would not want to live in a community where my fellow neighbors are unable to enjoy the privacy, choice and independence so many of us take for granted.

A $25 donation would…

buy groceries for a week.

A $100 donation would…

buy a new pair of glasses.

A $500 donation would…

pay a month’s rent for someone we serve.

What is the meaning of life?

To embrace every moment, for each is special. To embrace every person, for they add something to your life. To embrace every opportunity to make this community a better place, because without an embrace there is no energy, and that’s what makes the “dash” on your gravestone stand out.

For more info, click here. Or why don’t you just donate right now?